Renting In Chiang Mai

As I plan to sell my Super 4 next month, still debating whether or not to take it on my planned Chiang Mai-Rai-Laos trips.

Can anyone give me a rundown of the best bikes for Northern travel available for rental. I read they have Super 4s a plenty and many Bajas. Anything else interesting to rent? Don't plan on any dirt riding.

I just rented few bikes from Mr. Mechanic recently, and their CB400's are getting very old-few can't even go 90 KPH! And their CB750 also just about due for overhaul. But they have few nice "chopper style" bikes, and those are nice.

I had the same problem, rented and went through a few different Super 4's with Mr. Mechanic. Can't really open it up around the ol' moat, but out in the hills I was pretty sad when I was getting out hustled by Phantoms, chickens and little boys on bikes.

I stuck with Mr. Mechanic because of his good reputation. They are good for service (even gave me a Wave free for 3 days) but some other shops near by have better Super 4's.

Hey Dave, when will someone open up a shop in CM with bikes a bit more on Pattaya's caliber (newer, more powerful, sportier)?

Staff Member

Kyle
Don’t like your chances of someone in Chiang Mai opening up a big new rental shop with "newer, more powerful, sportier bikes" a la Pattaya, as they all struggle to make enough money to survive.
The bike shops here can only make "real" money in the high season, which roughly runs for just a few months November - February.
Rental prices in Cnx are cheap, with supply generally exceeding demand.
Then in the North the bikes also cost more to maintain as they actually get ridden for hundreds if not thousands of kilometres while out on hire. Compare this to Pattaya & Phuket where they are probably just used for cruising from bar to bar = not much wear & tear so less cost to maintain & more money to make.
Riding in the mountainous North also costs more. The endless twisties mean you are constantly on & off the throttle chewing out tyres & chains & brakes much more quickly. Compare this to simply cruising down the flat straight highways with a nice steady throttle & Pattaya is cheaper to run a bike.
So good luck to anyone who opens a big bike rental shop in Chiang Mai & the North.

hi all... I'd like to ask to Kyle if he's gone to Laos with his rented bike, and if so, if he have some advice for me. I'll be in Thailand this month of august, and I'd like to tour with a rented bike most is possible. I don't know if there are some problem to cross border with not owned motorcycles or if it's easy or not find a rental who provide for documents and agreements.
Another doubt I have : like most part of tourist I'll reach Thai at Bangkok, is it better rent in Pattaya or in CM? And also, I've not understood the plate tricks. Someone can explain it to me?

1. All bikes in and around Bangkok have to be plated, or they will get in trouble. There are many rental bikes in Chiang Mai without plates, and you can usually get away with riding them. But occasionally you will get stopped.

2. You should have a copy of the registration book with the bike. This is rarely asked for, but needed for crossing borders.

3. All bikes must be insured. You can insure a bike without a plate. If your rental does not have a current insurance sticker, you may get in trouble with the police and you WILL be in trouble if you have an accident.

4. All registered bikes must pay road tax every year, and display the current sticker.

5. You must have a plate to cross borders. If it a rental, you will need copies of the owners ID card, and written permission to take the bike out of the country.

6. SOMETIMES, you can cross into Laos with an unregistered bike at Chiang Khong / Huay Xai. You will need additional documentation showing the legal import of the MC parts that turned into the bike you are riding.

7. Legally, you need an international drivers license. Again - rarely asked for, but required.

My bike is legally registered but I consider the "book" too valuable to carry with me. Instead I just carry a photocopy and I have crossed to and from Laos many times without any question. I have NEVER been asked for a license crossing the border or in Laos.

Today, returning from a 3 day Golden Triangle loop I was stopped at the police check point just south of Chiang Mai before the turnoff to hwy 108. This in itself was a little unusual. They DID ask for my drivers license and my passenger's Thai ID. They were stopping many stepthroughs also. They asked if my bike was rented and I told them "No". They also saw my 5 year Thai drivers license and their attitudes seemed to improve. We were then sent on our way with a salute and a smile. They didn't check anything as far as bike paperwork. Not sure what that was all about.

During the past 2 months and 10,000+km we've been stopped maybe 4-5 times. I show them my five year lic.... they smile, we chat, and only once has my wife been asked for ID and that was when they did a luggage search too. They also did a light body search on both of us; a lady police officer doing the search on my wife. We seem to be asked for a lic. check more in the Northern reaches - when we ask why the check(s) they tell us that a lot of speed pills are flowing down out of the very North. At one check point ALL police were wearing flak jackets, which we've never seen before.

The above listed checks, do not count the military check points along the Burma and or Laos border areas where they ask to see your ID and then record it in a log book as you go in and out of sensitive areas.

Hi all, I'm in CM now, very interesting place.
All bikes rental since now said that their bikes are not allowed to go outside province of CM, and anyway can not cross the border. I add to your rental list

Hi again. I've tried all rental in chiang mai, also Goodwill Joe's Bike said that his motorcycles are for Thai only. Every rental give different motivations but at the end I've understand that is because danger for them is too high. simply they doesn't wont. Someone admit that there are no problem crossing with or without plate (better with), but they don't trust to give documents to a stranger... (and I sadly can only agree with them) deal is possible only buying motorcycle.
Only the lovely lady of Mr.Mechanics said to me that there are no problem, just I have had to rent one of their chopper 200cc because they have the plate. The deal was almost done... Today I was ready to go. She said me Laos not so bad, other people do that before... and so on... I've tried motorcycle, I've buy a new helmet for me, I've changed money and payed for three weeks with insurance... but...
when I've asked for documents, her boss call me in his office to say same things (read above) and only way for me to go outside Thai was pay 80.000B to became owner of motorcycle and documents. He proposed to me a buy back deal... but he did not seems to encourage me in that. He spoke about a road in very bad condition, cost of spare parts, lot of risks... so that wasn't a great deal buy and resell a bike after Laos...
End of my tour he day of departure!
Mr Mechanics has been anyway gentle and polite, and i can see his point (the same of any other rental).his bikes are the well mantiened in CM (or just are the newer...) so I've rented the 200cc. for a shorter period for touring thailand. when I'll go in Laos I'll try again there.
Now I'm in Pai whit this honda shadow, ..ehmmm.. is not a monster..., but was the only model that can carry my baggages. At the next, and thanks to all !

I rented from Tony's Big Bikes (Chiang Mai) last November and got a metalic Gold Honda 400 four, it had no sticker, plates etc, I left my passport with them, my girlfriend (aussie)and i did the Mae Hong Song circuit back to Chiang Mai in one day, and we had it for a week after that, did the 3 day home stay at TECC, the bike didn't miss a beat, got it back to Tony and he seemed suprised! ! I read that Tony's had closed for a while, pity! We're heading back over there soon, we are doing a rock climbing/motorbike trip that involves riding from Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam (leave bike on Chinese border) China, Vietnam (pick up bike), Laos, Thailand, storing the bike in Bangkok and should take us at least 4 months. thanks to the info on this site it's given us a heads up, we'll now bring a Yam 175 over so we can get into Vietnam, beats walking, thanks heaps!

I want to make a tour in Northern Thailand in early November and i'm trying to make a reservation for an Honda degree and a Honda Baya by e-mail. What is the best Rental and does any body know what the e-mail adresses are.